5 WWE Heels who worked better as faces
While wrestling ability is important, WWE always puts the most emphasis on character. While there are the occasional "tweeners" who don't fit the babyface or heel label, most superstars are assigned a select role.
And as with most stories, character changes are normal. The change in character is normally caused by storyline plans, crowd reactions, the strengths and weaknesses of superstars, and more often these days - impulsively without any long-term plan.
There are only a few superstars who stay in a fixed babyface or heel role, such as Rey Mysterio. The greatest Luchador in the company's history has never been a heel or turned during his tenure with the company. However, there are those who turn heel and fans soon find out that working as a babyface is more suited to them.
This list features current WWE superstars. While not all of them are heels anymore as of this writing, the list refers to superstars who simply work better as babyfaces:
#5. AJ Styles - Turned heel twice in WWE
Aj styles is teasing some great matches on Nxt
#WWENXT https://t.co/eD9VqGb5Nn
AJ Styles is just less than two weeks away from the sixth anniversary of his WWE debut. In that time, he has become a Grand Slam Champion, including two world title reigns.
The first time AJ Styles turned heel in the company was less than half a year into his run when he took out John Cena. At the time, a top heel was needed as the brand split was returning, and Styles fit the bill.
The trilogy of matches Aj Styles & John Cena had tho’. 🔥 https://t.co/KK35rxVNtq
He won his feud against John Cena, including a clean victory at SummerSlam 2016 in what has been considered an all-time classic. Soon enough, he won his first WWE Championship and enjoyed a strong tenure for nearly 150 days before John Cena dethroned him.
Post-WrestleMania 33, following a win over Shane McMahon, Styles quietly turned face again and would continue his championship success. The pinnacle of his babyface run in the company came between late 2017 and 2018, where he had a year-long tenure with the title - the longest world title reign in SmackDown history at the time.
He would turn heel again before the summer of 2019, sticking with the same character until the end of 2021. What these runs proved is that while AJ Styles is an all-time great, he simply works better as a babyface.
His moveset and character has made him a first-ballot future Hall of Famer, and his runs as a babyface will be more fondly remembered in the long run.